They say there’s a first time for everything. This weekend was my first time mountain biking. I didn’t know how to say that in Spanish, but it was the best although now it hurts when I sit.
Following with the subject of trying something new, this week’s recipe is the Peruvian dish known as “arroz tapado” or covered rice (or molded rice with meat filling, rice on top, ground beef and rice, the list goes on). Traditionally, this is made with ground beef but I have twice made it with ground turkey and I really like it. I encourage you to try it, with whichever meat you prefer.
Ingredientes ½ kilo of ground turkey or other 1 onion, chopped finely 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper ¼ cup raisins 3-4 pitted olives, chopped 2-3 hard boiled eggs 2 cups cooked rice, approx.
Preparation Spice the meat with salt and pepper.
Fry the garlic and onion in oil. Add the meat and let it cook all the way.
Add the raisins and olives. Also, add the chopped eggs.
Place the meat filling mold, between two layers of cooked rice. Unmold onto the dish that it will be served in. You may need pacience for unmolding. Try flat moldes for better results.
Welcome to my crypt! Just kidding… I am very happy to be nearly recovered from one of the worst flu I’ve ever had. I won’t bore you with my symptoms but I will tell you that it did not cure with margaritas. This week’s recipe is the first of a series of “easy to make” recipes that I want to share with you. I am kicking off with a basic version of homemade mashed potatoes. I learned to make it by watching my mom and I find myself thinking of her when I make it. The ingredients are natural. I hope you like it!
Ingredients
2 large peeled potatoes
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Boil the peeled potatoes in a pot with water. You can chop up the potatoes for faster cooking.
Remove the potatoes from the hot water and let them cool. Mash them.
Melt the butter in a pot. Add the mashed potatoes.
Add milk slowly, mixing in with a spoon. Condiment with salt and butter
Serve warm with a sliver of butter, so it will melt over it.
Serves 2 people. Add more potatoes for more people 😊
This weekend was great. It was my first time going to the Austin City Limits music festival in Texas, although I ended up with a fever and a sore throat last night. I will be trying to cure myself with lots of fluids like hot tea with lemon and plenty of soups. While this liquid healing is underway, I want to share this recipe and video with you for a delicious pot roast beef in tomato sauce.
I really like this this recipe because I had leftover pot roast for two days and it reheated quite well. Does it happen to you that some food does not taste the same the next day? Well this pot roast keeps very well in case you want leftovers.
I did suffer a while little preparing the roast because I was uncertain about adding the wine and vinegar juice in which the meat had marinated. I threw it in with the beef and spent about three hours in agony because I feared it would be horrible but it actually tastes great. It adds a tang of acidity, which is nice, although if you like your roast with a traditional tomato sauce feel free to discard the juice.
About the festival, I loved it! I got to see Wild Belle which is a band that I really love this year, and I also hear some bands for the first time like Mike Snow and LCD Soundsystem.
Ingredients
1 kilo of roast beef
1 carrot, peeled and cut into long stalks
1 cup wine
½ cup vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic or powder
Salt and pepper
1 finely chopped or blended onion
3-4 peeled and blended tomatoes
170 kg of tomato paste, approximately
Preparation
Remove the grease from the beef, according to your preference. You can cut the beef into smaller cuts, if preferred.
Dress with garlic, salt and pepper, according to preference. With a sharp knife, stab the beef and add the stalks of carrots. The idea is that the carrot will go through it, from one side to the other.
Marinate the meat with wine and vinegar. Let it sit for 1 hour or more.
Fry the marinated beef in a hot pot. Make sure all sides are golden brown.
Set the beef aside in a bowl, and brown the onion and garlic.
Add blended tomatoes. Following that, add tomato paste. You can add bay leaves. Let it cook 5-10 min.
Add the meat into the sauce and cook for 1 to 4 hours. You can add the juice that the meat was marinated in to the sauce, considering that this will add a slight acid tang to the juice. I tried and enjoyed it.
Cook from 1 to 4 hours
You can cut the meat into slices and serve with a side of cooked vegetables.
Serves 4 people.
Comments
The longer you cook it, the softer the meat will be. I cooked for 3 hours.
I am very happy to share this publication because it means that I have restocked on Peruvian yellow peppers and other ingredients that I had run out of a few weeks ago. Since I have continued my commitment to eat mainly fish on the weekend, I was really craving a traditional Peruvian style ceviche. My first attempt of ceviche was with salmon and avocado, and now I would like to share this recipe for making a typical Peruvian ceviche. I hope you like it! Español aquí.
Although I would have liked to make ceviche with corvina or cojinova fish, I had to try another species, since I’m still away from Lima. I had a very good experience with “Barramundi” which was recommended at an organic supermarket. Apparently this fish comes from the West Pacific region, and is very popular in Thailand. It was good, but if I can recommend another white fish other than tilapia, I promise I will try it 🙂
I’d forgotten how easy and fast it is this dish. I really enjoyed making it.
In case you are looking for Peruvian ingredients in Texas, I found Peruvian yellow, rocoto, panca, and mirasol peppers at Fiesta Mart supermarkets. The brands they carry are Inca’s Food for chillies and some beverages, and Goya for beans and banana chips. You may find it funny, but I struggled to find lima beans and chickpeas before that. If you are not near the store, look for a Latin market and asking for their Peruvian food section. Hope you find it!
Ingredientes Ceviche 1 kilo of white boneless fish 1 cup of Peruvian lemon juice (**) 1 large red onion, in thin vertical cuts 1 Peruvian yellow pepper, or according to taste ¼ teaspoon shredded ginger 2-3 cloves garlic Salt and pepper Lettuce or arugula
Toasted Dried Corn Cancha Dried corn cancha for toasting Salt
Preparation Ceviche Remove the skin and cut into medium to small cubes.
Place the fish on a dish, without placing one cut over another. Add garlic, salt and pepper.
Optional: Add Peruvian Yellow Pepper and ginger.
Cover fish with onion.
Cover the dish with lemon and let sit for 10 min. Serve immediately when cooked.
Ceviche is traditionally served on lettuce and garnished with cilantro. It is accompanied by toasted cancha, sweet potato and peruvian corn.
Serves 3-4 people
Toasted Dried Corn Cancha You can toast the cancha while you wait for the fish to cook. Heat an oiled pot. Add cancha.
Cover and cook until shortly after cancha pops. You can shake the covered pot to help it cook evenly, until golden. Make sure to wear mittens if you do this.
Pour the cancha in a bowl and add salt.
Repeat to make more.
Comments (**)
You can boil the Peruvian Yellow Pepper in water to reduce the spice. I boiled it twice in the microwave.
Try bathing the onion in salted water before adding to the fish, to reduce its strong flavor.
The cancha cooks very fast so try making it in small portions to avoid burning the cancha.
Peruvian lemon has a different flavor than lemons you will find elsewhere. In the US you can mix limes and lemons, say 2 limes and 6 lemons.
I have been eating fish during the weekends for several weeks now due to its high value in protein and healthy fats. The fish I repeat most often is salmon but lately I’ve been looking for a different way to make it other than fried or steamed. I really wanted to try covering it with sesame seeds and in the oven, and this is how I came to this really simple recipe that I recommend if you want mix things up and make it a little fancy.
Salmón con ajonjolí
This recipe considers two slices of salmon (*), but feel free to add more cuts for more people. You will may also need some more sesame seeds, which you can add by the spoonful as you go along.
Sorry about my pulse on the videos, I hope no one get’s dizzy…
Ingredients 2 cuts of salmon 4 tablespoons sesame seeds (approx.) ¼ cup olive oil (approx.) 3-4 cloves garlic Salt and pepper
Preparation Start by cutting the salmon into two pieces, in case it is not already cut.
Mix olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Spread sesame seed on a plate.
Bring the salmon cut into the bowl and bathe in the mix.
Cover the salmon with the seeds by placing each side over the plate. You don’t need to cover the side with skin. This part can get a little messy.
Place the salmon on an oiled dish on the side that has the skin. I like to cover the dish with aluminum foil as it is a good conductor of heat and also to avoid having to wash it.
Repeat for each piece.
Cover the dish to allow overall cooking.
Place in a preheated oven and cook for about 45 minutes at 450°F for well cooked. You can cook for less time if you like it more pink, depending on your preference.
You can serve with potatos baked with butter and rosemary, and cooked vegetables.
